Eyes Wide Shut
by JosephineLL
Summary: There are none so blind as those who will not see ... SAP! ... Tu-S


Title: Eyes Wide Shut  
  
Author: Josephine  
  
Email: Lovellama@aol.com  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Genre: Romance  
  
Codes: Tu/S, R/M talked about  
  
Summary: There are none so blind as those who will not see .  
  
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Hoshi snuck a glance over at the Tillack on her right, then over at Trip on her left, then down at the plate in front of her. She was confused.  
  
The Tillack, Vepse (in fact, all the Tillack they had met), kept referring to her and Trip together. 'Would you and the Commander like to see the Fountains of Arethia? Would you and Trip like to try the spiced Sarcacco?'. They weren't treating everyone like this, just the established couples. Howarth and Widgren, Reed and Mayweather, Bedwell and Arnold . the Tillack didn't think that she and Trip were . no, they couldn't. Why would they? She and Trip were just friends.  
  
Hoshi sighed and continued to stare at her plate.  
  
"Ya'all right, Hosh?" Trip's voice brought her back. She nodded slightly.  
  
"Just tired, I suppose," dredging up a wan smile.  
  
"You would like to sleep? I will show you your quarters." With a swirl of robes Vepse rose, obviously intending for both of them to follow. Trip shrugged, grabbed one last bite, then ran after the Tillack to catch up with Hoshi.  
  
The two humans followed the tall alien until they came to a door indistinguishable from the others they had passed. With a flourish Vepse flung open the door, motioning Hoshi and a slightly confused Trip inside.  
  
"We will see you on the morrow." With that Vepse bowed, and shut the door on the couple.  
  
"Hey!" Trip strode to the door, flinging it open. "Where's mah room .?" He trailed off as Vepse was nowhere to be seen. "Uh ." Looking over his shoulder, Trip's worried gaze went from Hoshi to the bed.  
  
Some perverse side of Hoshi was enjoying this. Far be it from her to try and find him another place to sleep. She hid a small, secret smile, then put on her Let's Make The Best Of It, Shall We? face.  
  
"The bed is big enough," she said, following Trip's eyes to the ornate structure. 'We could put a bolster between us, or hang a sheet ."  
  
Trip had finally closed the door and walked slowly over to the bed, staring at it like it was a hangman's noose. "Yeah, a sheet ."  
  
But, Hoshi nearly giggled, there was no place whatsoever to hang a sheet from. "Well, I'm going to get ready for bed. Mind if I go first?" She inclined her head toward the bathroom.  
  
"Huh?" Trip looked up at her. 'Naw, go ahead." He shuffled from foot to foot as she moved toward the connecting door before blurting out: "Hosh?"  
  
Looking back, Hoshi was hard pressed no to smile at near frantic expression on his face.  
  
"The thing is, I . umm . I don't have any pajamas. I usually sleep in m' boxers."  
  
Hoshi did smile at this. "I'll close my eyes when you come out."  
  
Trip's head jerked in a nod. "Yeah, ok ."  
  
Hoshi finally allowed herself to giggle as she went into the bathroom and stepped into the shower.  
  
Now Hoshi had fully expected to put a bolster between her and Trip that night, to sleep as far from him as the bed would own, to awake with her virtue (at least regarding Trip) intact, no matter how much the actions of the Tillack had got her thinking.  
  
That was before she saw the 'nightgown' hanging in the bathroom.  
  
Hoshi stopped short, water dripping on the tiled floor. It was a filmy confection of a gown; white, but when it moved, rainbows of color shot through it. Hoshi couldn't help but touch it; it was softer than eider down, and weighed next to nothing. Almost without thinking she slipped the gown over her head. It fell in gentle waves around her, the neckline low enough to tempt but high enough to tease. Pulling the pins from her hair, Hoshi stared at herself in the mirror. There was no way, God willin' and the creek don't rise, as Trip liked to say, she was going to spend this night on the opposite side of the bed from him.  
  
Slowly she walked into the bedroom, butterflies in her stomach but steel in her spine. Trip was looking at one of the paintings on the wall; hearing her, he began to turn around.  
  
"All done, Hosh ." His voice trailed off as Trip finally looked at her; Hoshi could see him swallow convulsively. "Uhh, Hosh?" His voice broke on her name.  
  
Hoshi looked down at the gown, smoothing a hand down the front. "I found it in the bathroom. It's pretty, isn't it?" She raised her head, meeting his eyes.  
  
"Umm, yeah ."  
  
Stepping closer to him, Hoshi tilted her head. "You don't like it?" It was all out of a romance novel, but Hoshi didn't think Trip could handle anything original right now.  
  
"It's very nice," he managed to get out, taking a few steps back until he hit the wall.  
  
"I wonder if the Tillack would let me keep it." Hoshi moved to within centimeters of Trip and put her hands on his chest. "Would you like to see me in it again?" Before he could answer, she arched up and kissed him.  
  
Trip just stared at her as she ended the kiss. "Hosh, I . I ."  
  
Hoshi moved back, looking at a definitely panicked Trip pressing himself flat up against the wall. So much for Tillack intuition. "That's ok, Trip." She smiled slightly, trying to be as off hand as she could. "I guess the Tillack aren't right all the time." Turning away, Hoshi blinked back the tears. No, not tears, just something in her eye.  
  
"What'da ya mean? What've the Tillack got t' do with this other than not havin' enough rooms for us all?" Trip grabbed Hoshi's arm and spun her toward him.  
  
"The Tillack thought we were a couple. Didn't you notice they regarded us the same way they did Malcolm and Travis? Always putting us together? Treating us as one person?"  
  
Trip shuffled his feet again, looking more like a little boy than ever. "I just thought they liked groups of two. Easier t' handle."  
  
Hoshi sighed gently. "They didn't do it for any other unattached crew."  
  
Lifting his head, Trip looked at Hoshi. "Why us? Why out of ev'rybody else down here, just us then?"  
  
She shrugged a shoulder; and deciding she was already in deep, what could it hurt? "Maybe they saw something between us that we didn't even see."  
  
"Hosh?" Trip sounded a mixture of worried, confused . and hopeful? "You don't . like me, do you?"  
  
"Of course I like you, Trip," she said brightly, looking away. "You're a good friend of mine."  
  
"I didn't mean it that way." It was his turn to move close to her. "Are you attracted t' me?"  
  
Put on the spot, Hoshi didn't know if she could say it. So much was at risk. "I . like you very much."  
  
Trip cupped her cheek in his hand, turning her face toward his; but still she wouldn't look at him. "Enough t' seduce me?"  
  
She finally raised her eyes to his. "Yes."  
  
"You were very brave, darlin'." Trip's mouth came down to cover hers and Hoshi's arms wrapped around his neck. "I'm glad one of us was." 


End file.
